De Pere School District raising money for two new therapy dogs

DE PERE, Wis. (WBAY) - The Unified School District of De Pere is raising funds to buy two new therapy dogs.

In 2021, the district purchased a therapy dog named Charlee. She makes her home at Dickinson Elementary School. Charlee helps students with anxiety, social and emotional issues.

The district now wants to purchase two new dogs for other elementary schools in the district.

“We use a program called zones of regulation here. It’s a four point scale and if a child is a three or a four, that’s an escalated state. Data shows that within five to ten minutes of Charlee engaging in the situation, they’re back down to a regulated state or a one. Then back to class learning,” says Luke Herlache, principal, Dickinson Elementary School.

The district is hosting a Redbird Rally Friday, Oct. 7. The goal is to raise $15,000 to purchase dogs for Heritage Elementary and Altmayer Elementary.

“Charlee is really nice. Therapy dogs are just trained to help people. If the other schools got some, they’d be able to have the same kind of things with Charlee,” said Odin Johnston, student at Dickinson Elementary

The Redbird Rally is at De Pere Middle School on Friday from 4-6:30 p.m.

There will be bounce houses, games and food. The cost of admission is $5.

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